What the South Korean president's 'Pragmatic Diplomacy' entails 1 month after taking office

Now later this week we mark President Lee Jae Myung 's first full month at the top office.

That being said our foreign affairs correspondent Oh Soo-young takes a look at the framework of his foreign policy thus far as he pledges "pragmatic diplomacy".

Lee Jae Myung's pragmatic diplomacy blends continuity and change based on a deliberate calculation of national interest.

His diplomatic debut came at the G7 Summit in June, where he held ten bilateral meetings with world leaders.

After a six-month leadership vacuum caused by former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law crisis, Lee's presence aimed to renew South Korea's standing as a vibrant democratic partner.

Lee Jae Myung has also reaffirmed the Seoul-Washington alliance and future-oriented relations with Tokyo.

His first phone calls were with Donald Trump and Shigeru Ishiba, followed by China's Xi Jinping, breaking the tradition of progressive leaders prioritizing Beijing over Tokyo.

Lee's foreign policy also shows signs of recalibration.

While maintaining key partnerships with democratic countries, the administration is diversifying cooperation and avoiding value-based alignment seeking to engage with China and Russia where possible.

On North Korea, Lee's approach has been focused on reducing tensions.

In his first month, he suspended loudspeaker broadcasts and cracked down on cross-border leaflet campaigns signaling a break from the tit-for-tat escalation seen in recent years.

His Cabinet nominations reflect this push for peace, over alliance-based deterrence.

Foreign Minister nominee Cho Hyun last week called for moving beyond the (quote) "stereotype that diplomacy begins and ends with the United States," while stressing U.S.–North Korea dialogue and building peace on the peninsula as core priorities.

Unification Minister nominee Chung Dong-young could return to a role he held under the Roh Moo-hyun government.

He helped organize the 2007 inter-Korean summit.

Defense Minister nominee Ahn Gyu-back set to become the first civilian to hold the post in more than 60 years has stressed the need to build peace along the border.

North Korea, along with trade and security, will likely top the agenda when Lee meets Donald Trump later this month.

Their meeting will mark the first test of Lee's ability to navigate the alliance while asserting South Korea's national interest.

The U.S. will likely push for Seoul to cover more costs related to defence and possibly the deployment of U.S. strategic assets in South Korea.

Lee and Trump were originally expected to meet during the G7, but the meeting fell through as Trump left early amid conflict between Israel and Iran.

Officials from both sides say a summit is being arranged in Washington likely the week of July 21st.

Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.